The Miami Dolphins are struggling at 1-5, and Tua Tagovailoa's postgame comments following their 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers have sparked a firestorm of criticism. Tagovailoa called out teammates for showing up late or missing players-only meetings, but former NFL players aren't buying his leadership approach.
Former NFL executive Ran Carthon didn't hold back on CBS Sports, delivering a pointed critique of Tagovailoa's comments. “Everything that you said post-game had to do with players. And the last time I checked, you wear that C on your chest, which means you're one of the leaders on this team,” Carthon said during NFL coverage.
Ran Carthon with some straight talk for Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa after his post-game comments.
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— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) October 13, 2025
Carthon continued his criticism, stating that if players aren't showing up to meetings, “that starts with you, that has nothing to do with Mike McDaniel.” He also accused Tagovailoa of being defensive about his own turnover issues instead of taking responsibility for his performance.
Former Offensive Linemen question leadership approach
Mitchell Schwartz and Andrew Whitworth, both former offensive linemen, weighed in harshly on social media. “He is THE leader of the team. And if he thinks this is showing leadership and calling them out, it's not. He's not mentioning who they are, so there's zero accountability, and they're likely laughing at him for telling on himself,” Schwartz said, according to AtoZ sports.
Whitworth's response was brief but cutting: “Woof…that's on you, bud.”
What Tua Tagovailoa actually said
After the loss, Tagovailoa pointed out some problems within the team. “We have guys showing up to player-only meetings late. Guys not showing up to player-only meetings,” he told reporters. Tagovoiloa acknowledged his role in the struggles, saying he's contributed with turnovers while noting missed opportunities across all phases of the game.
The criticism centers on one key point: as a team captain, Tagovailoa should handle these issues internally rather than airing them publicly while deflecting responsibility for his own performance.
